Hope moves in mysterious ways. It can be found deep within, bestowed upon you by chance, or something you simply search for in others. But with hope comes fear, the fear of failing, of carrying a burden you never asked for. And though so many seek it, hope can so easily be lost somewhere between the harshness of winter and the reality of war.

Yet hope offers a chance to teach, a moment to heal, and an opportunity to break bread with others. Even when feelings are still too raw, too heavy, or sometimes just a little too salty to ignore, it can still be found by those willing to look for it.

In a world where nightmares and anger threaten to throw you off balance, sometimes the only thing you can do is stand up, take a swing, and let it all out. Because while the road ahead might still feel heavy, there is strength in knowing you don’t have to walk it alone.

Natural Six are Harry McEntire, Doug Cockle, Ben Starr, Hollie Bennett, Alex Jordan, and Aoife Wilson.

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We open with the important questions, like why Alex always walks in circles and how sock puppets somehow entered the chat. Do not worry, there are many voices of Doug Cockle to make up for it.

It is the first time we have filmed for a whole weekend in a while, and Harry talks about how much he prepped, and how much we actually explored. For the first time ever, we have left without tying up all the loose ends. They can figure it out for themselves, right?

We chat about the team finally getting a moment to breathe, how they interact when the pressure is off (spoilers, they drink), and, how much Harry hates fast travel.

Dolly and Aoife both chose chaos this week, and we break down her decision to stab straight through the middle instead of, well, literally anything else. Honestly, she just wishes they had kept the receipt.

We get intimate with I, and unpack exactly what Raidion saw with that Nat 20. There really are no secrets among friends.

Then it is story time with Doug Cockle. We talk patience, lore, and the perfect sprinkle of flakey salt that made Kelnys’ moment shine. He is such a unifying force, and it felt so good to learn more about him.

Finally, we talk about Raidion treating this episode like a bottomless brunch, and Alex treating us to the gun show. Because why not?

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As winter greets them with open arms, the air feels cold, clean, and gloriously alive. Now, as the world stretches wide once more, breath can turn to laughter instead of fear.

Yet, while freedom might taste sweet, it can be a little unsteady, and the path ahead may yet prove far bumpier than expected, and not everyone is built for the ride. Still, laughter carries on the wind, and joy finds its place amidst the chaos, offering a chance to reflect on love, loss, and lives once lived. In a world full of promise and poor decisions, if you choose to dance to the beat of your own drum, you’d best be ready for the rhythm that follows.

And as the fire crackles and the snow falls quietly, they learn that even in a world where everyone knows your name, even the Newly Dead can still get ghosted.

Natural Six are Harry McEntire, Doug Cockle, Ben Starr, Hollie Bennett, Alex Jordan, and Aoife Wilson.

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In this instalment of action surge, we reflect on an episode that - despite being our shortest episode yet - was jam packed with story, character and with everyone needing to think on their feet.

We talked about how discussions away from the table can result in further discussions at it, and how these moments offer characters the chance to change and grow. Ben revealed parts of Raidion’s story that many of the characters had not yet been party to regarding the family he remembers and the darkest corners of his past.

Next we moved on to balancing mechanical efficiency and character authenticity, reflecting on what it’s like to play at a table where people don’t want to tell the story in simplest ways - Aoife giving insight into Dolly’s discomfort with her newly acquired drum.

Then we moved on to the last half of the episode and the discovery of the way out of The Old Dark. Harry let us in on his thought process as he tried to balance creating atmosphere and handling seat-of-your-pants mechanics. We talked about responding to interesting ideas your players come up with, and trying to reward them for their ingenuity. It’s always about telling the story together.

After a brief video game discussion detour, we moved on to what happens next. Could an alliance between the kobolds and The Children of the Midnight Moon benefit both parties? Do the Newly Dead need to start building bridges, or is it enough to keep burning them down? We’ll have to find out next time…

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Life is ever-moving, ever-changing. A weave of dreams and nightmares, the grotesque and the great. You might want to look cool, but it is not about how you appear. It is about what you live for and who you choose to fight for.

A moment of rest can grant the gift of reunion, a chance to break bread and reflect on the paths that led here, and on stories shaped by fear, by loss, and by the desire to protect.

Yet there is warmth in stories, in remembering who came before and in daring to paint the image of what comes next. While the paint of the past might still be wet, the colour of adventure is never finished. There is still so much to discover, if you can be strong enough to save those you love.

Natural Six are Harry McEntire, Doug Cockle, Ben Starr, Hollie Bennett, Alex Jordan, and Aoife Wilson.

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This week’s Action Surge we start by talking about pace. Episode 39 opened with deep lore (some might call it an unskippable cut scene, others might call it a well-earned reward for surviving), before dropping us into a bit of a sandbox. Yes, even Harry had no idea what we’d do next, and yes, we still managed to surprise him. Not all of it was a delight.

From there, it was colours, visions, and the question of what might have happened if Alex had actually rolled that six. And somehow, an NPC who somehow managed to survive at the end of last episode suddenly became more important than any of us, or Harry, ever planned. Kc’ahrl proved that when the average on 3d8 is twelve, sometimes you do not need to worry about morality at all.

We also reflect on I’s unexpected promotion to de facto leader of the kobolds. Either way, a return to the Old Dark might have been exactly what the story needed. Finally, we touch upon what might happen when priorities do not line up, and why those differences might shape the party just as much as any battle on the table.

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Colour blooms where endings meet beginnings, a brilliance that lingers long enough to change those who reach for it. Memories unfurl in shades of truth, painting the past in wounds not yet healed.

Yet revelations can fracture what once felt certain, as truths and lies entwine so tightly they almost look the same. But while they lingered in shadow, the world above shifted, reshaped into something more dangerous than they left behind. Paths stretch forward, but none without cost, and none without consequence.

Hope can be born from endings, if those left behind are willing to shape it. Yet even as new futures are spoken into being, discord stirs, and paths diverge. When one demands more than the others can give, which path will you walk?

What do you do when there is still so much to be afraid of?

Natural Six are Harry McEntire, Doug Cockle, Ben Starr, Hollie Bennett, Alex Jordan, and Aoife Wilson.

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This week’s Action Surge is packed. Big battles mean big conversations, and we had plenty to talk about once the dice finally stopped rolling. From the chaos at the table to the (lack of) chaos behind the screen, there was no shortage of moments to break down.

We think it’s only fair to talk about what an incredible job Harry did. There was so much going on; the monsters, the cards, the chaos, and also those chromatic orbs, and somehow he kept hold of it all flawlessly (unlike the rest of us, who were mostly just panicking).

But it wasn’t just Harry. Minis mean business, and once again Mark from Crafted Campaigns had been hard at work. And what work it was, seriously, how are we ever meant to go back to theatre of the mind after this?

From there, we get into what made this battle so tense: why mobility matters so much for big bads, and how being able to move, and move quickly, can turn the tide (and keep Dolly running too). We also break down those bouncing orbs, chromatic and otherwise, and just how devastating they can be. Maybe a little too devastating, depending on who you ask.

Alex opens up about his plans for I, the choice to gift healing, and how close things came to going catastrophically wrong. And of course, we circle back to the Deck of Many Friends, the latest companions it’s produced, and the question of whether Raidion would really ever have given it up. (Short answer: probably. Long answer: probably, but at least he had a plan.)

Finally, we talk about the bigger picture: that moment of realisation where the party can’t back out anymore. They’re in too deep, the questions are piling up, and thankfully Elowen didn’t kill the one person who might actually be able to answer them. That’s progress!

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